The Largest-Ever Survey of Indigenous Australian Art Is Coming to the U.S.

Amid growing recognition of Indigenous art in the contemporary art world, a new partnership is set to elevate the global presence of Indigenous works. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has announced a collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Australia that will facilitate the exchange of significant works from both institutions’ permanent collections. This partnership will kick off with the largest-ever exhibition of Indigenous Australian art in the U.S., titled “The Stars We Do Not See,” which will debut in Washington, D.C., in October of next year. With over 200 pieces by more than 130 artists, it will showcase lesser-known but important works alongside iconic masterpieces, many of which have never before left Australia.

Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art, expressed her excitement to Observer, stating that the institution is “thrilled that this partnership will allow our audiences to experience such a vast and wonderful breadth of Australian Indigenous art” and adding that the work in the exhibition “demonstrates how art can tell stories of cultures and communities across time.”

“The Stars We Do Not See” will offer American audiences an expansive view of Indigenous creativity spanning from the 19th Century to the present, shining a light on the rich and diverse visual traditions of Australia’s 250+ Indigenous nations and highlighting their unique artistic contributions predating the British colonial era.

At the heart of the exhibition will be the intricate “dot paintings” or “sand paintings,” which began as spiritual practices rooted in Indigenous rituals that reconnect the individual with the larger universe. These paintings are often created in states of altered consciousness, deeply tied to the Dreamtime—a spiritual plane where ancestral beings shaped the land, animals, and laws. This connection makes the works not only visual masterpieces but also tools for healing and communion with ancestral spirits. The show’s title draws inspiration from the late Yolŋu artist Gulumbu Yunupiŋu, known as the “Star Lady” for her intricate dot paintings evoking endless starry skies that capture the spiritual vastness that is central to the exhibition’s themes.

One standout piece is Emily Kam Kngwarray’s Anwerlarr Anganenty (Big Yam Dreaming), 1995, a massive canvas measuring over nine by twenty-seven feet. This work, an icon of the NGV collection, explores the complex web of life beneath the earth through a tangled system of roots and yams. Kngwarray’s major exhibition at Gagosian Paris in 2022 was the fourth in a series focused on Australian Indigenous painters, with Gagosian being one of the first global galleries to spotlight Indigenous art.

The exhibition also features urban contemporary artists working in new media, such as Brook Andrew, Reko Rennie, Ricky Maynard, Maree Clarke and Lorraine Connelly-Northey. Also among these artists is Richard Bell, who recently had a solo booth at Independent 20th Century and represented Australia at the 2019 Venice Biennale following an installation at Tate Modern, which later acquired one of his works, underscoring the growing international recognition of Australian Indigenous artists in the global contemporary art scene.

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“In recent times, we have noticed a strong interest in Australian Indigenous art internationally,” NGV director Tony Ellwood told Observer. “We have seen more exhibitions being staged and more First Nations artists represented by galleries overseas. ‘The Stars We Do Not See’ will be the largest representation of its kind globally, which is a huge feat and a major milestone for the NGV.”

It will also become the largest collection of First Nations artworks to travel widely as, following the premiere in Washington D.C., the exhibition will tour the U.S. and Canada from 2025 to 2027, stopping at the Denver Art Museum, the Portland Art Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, and the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada. In exchange, the National Gallery of Art will send a selection of major works from its collection of modern and contemporary American art to be displayed at the NGV.

Ellwood noted how the contemporary art world is finally giving Indigenous and First Nations artists the spotlight, recognizing their work as powerful carriers of ancestral traditions, wisdom and alternative paradigms that can inspire a more sustainable relationship with the planet. While this trend has been growing for years, this year’s Venice Biennale cemented Indigenous artists’ “emblematic presence,” as artistic director Adriano Pedrosa wrote.

Several national pavilions achieved historic firsts this year by showcasing Indigenous artists. Examples include Jeffrey Gibson’s vibrant takeover of the U.S. Pavilion, Glicéria Tupinambá’s work in Brazil’s pavilion (renamed Hãhãwpuá) and Inuuteq Storch becoming the first Greenlandic and Inuk artist to represent Denmark. The Golden Lion for Best National Participation went to Australia for First Nation artist Archie Moore’s powerful installation spanning 5,000 years of Indigenous history—both recorded and lost. Inscribed with charcoal on dark walls, the installation contrasts starkly with redacted State records floating in a moat of water. Moore’s lyrical reflection on family archives and national records highlights the historical oppression and high incarceration rates of First Nations people, confronting the viewer with the lingering effects of colonial governance.

The rise of awareness around Indigenous culture and rights, as well as the need to preserve their cultural production, began long before the recent attention from institutions like the Biennale. “The Aboriginal Tent Embassy,” an ongoing protest for Indigenous land rights, was established in Australia in 1972. Australia’s Indigenous peoples, often described as the oldest continuous culture on earth, boast a history that stretches back over 65,000 years. This remarkable longevity can be attributed to their deep connection with the land, rich spiritual beliefs, complex social systems and adaptability over time, but it’s also a testament to their fierce resistance and resilience in the face of new settlers, which has played a key role in preserving their cultural identity.

In New York, the Asia Society recently opened “Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala,” an exhibition highlighting the rich history of Aboriginal bark painting. Curated by the Yolŋu people of northeastern Arnhem Land, Australia, the show includes thirty-three newly commissioned pieces alongside other unique examples of the process.

Earlier this year, Tate launched an initiative aimed at increasing its collection of Indigenous art, starting with a four-year commitment from the AKO Foundation to fund the acquisition of Sámi and Inuit works from Northern Europe. The institution will, in the future, undertake projects to research, collect and display artworks from Indigenous communities in South Asia, Oceania and the Americas. In late August, the museum also announced its acquisition of Moore’s award-winning Venice Biennale installation.

“The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art” will open at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., on October 15 and run through March 1, 2026. The exhibition will then travel to the Denver Art Museum (April 19-July 26, 2026), the Portland Art Museum (September 2026-January 2027), the Peabody Essex Museum (February-June 2027) and the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (July 2027-January 2028).